Inconsolable
by Crystal Manning
Summary: It's hard to accept your future when your past continues to show up in your present. Mickey Mason is sent to Camp Green Lake on accident. They thought she was a boy and now, under the Warden's orders, she's stuck in the boy's correctional facility forced to dig holes, keep her head down, keep quiet, and face a part of her past that she would rather bury alive.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

If someone wanted to play a game of 'I Spy' with Mickey, the game would end after two turns. The only thing that could be 'spied' was dirt, dirt, and more dirt. Dirt coated the windows, it trailed behind the bus in cloud form; even the road they were traversing was made of dirt. It was a boring sight to have to stare at for three hours.

Three hours on the way to Camp Green Lake, Some correctional facility deep in the heart of Texas. She had been facing jail time originally. She was prepared to get her fingerprints taken down and her number assigned. It couldn't have come at a better time that her court-assigned lawyer found out about an opening that was available at Camp Green Lake. It saved her from having to be put behind bars but then it robbed her of visitation from her family. If only they hadn't been so desperate.

Never has a double-edged sword hurt so much.

Sweat beaded on her forehead and rolled down her back. Whoever said sweating was the body's way of cooling down was a liar. She did not feel cool at all. She would've wiped the sweat away if her hands weren't handcuffed to the seat in front of her. She didn't expect to die so soon on her way to Hell.

Heck, Mickey Mason didn't expect to ever find herself going against the law either.

The bumpy ride finally came to an end as the stuffy bus pulled up next to a small, wooden office building. One sign on the wall read YOU ARE NOW ENTERING CAMP GREEN LAKE JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY_. _She grimaced at the next sign that read: It is a violation of the Texas Penal Code to bring guns, explosives, weapons, drugs, or alcohol onto the premises. Despite the ominous signs she sighed in relief, finally able to pull her sweaty back off of the hot plastic bus seat. She rubbed her wrists once the handcuffs were removed, wiping the sweat rings off on her shirt. With shaky legs, she followed the guard off the bus and into the building.

A fan spun overhead but it didn't provide the break from the heat in the stuffy room as she had hoped. The humidity was enough to make her feel as if her throat was closing. But it seemed to work properly when she gulped at the mere sight of the scary looking man in the chair.

His already beady eyes narrowed as he peered at Mickey. His teeth gnawed on sunflower seeds. The chewing and popping between his teeth slowed as he got a good look at Mickey. She shifted beneath his gaze, her blue eyes dropping down to her scuffed up shoes. He was looking at her as if he had never seen a girl before.

That couldn't be good.

"What is this?" he demanded.

"New camper," the guard replied.

The man grunted. "This here's a girl," he stated. Mickey's head lifted at his statement. Something about the way he said that made her uneasy. "Aint no girls at Camp Green Lake."

That's why.

Mickey's ears perked up at this. "Wait," she said. Her voice sounded small in the room. "But this is a youth correctional facility. Right?"

"It's a juvenile detention facility for boys," the man said. "Yu aint no boy."

Mickey kept herself from making a snarky comment. The guy looked as if he could kill her with his pinkie finger alone. Her eyes shifted back and forth between the two men as they looked at one another. Finally the scary man picked up a walkie talkie and then muttered something into it. She didn't catch what he said.

"Sit down," he ordered. Mickey caught that. She dropped into the seat on the other side of the desk without hesitation. She messed with the hem of her t-shirt ad licked her dry lips. Only when the saliva dried up a second later did she regret it. Boy did she wish she had a glass of lemonade right now.

"Mickey Mason?" the man asked aloud, looking at a clipboard.

"Yeah," Mickey, squeaked, awkwardly raising her hand. Never in that moment had she seen a better placed 'Oh Crap' face. She would've laughed if the situation was funny. But it wasn't. The scary man and the guard whispered back and forth to one another. Mickey looked around the room to keep busy, especially so she wouldn't be accused of eavesdropping. She clutched her bag close to her chest and kicked her legs beneath the chair. Her feet barely touched the ground.

The silence that had filled the room was broken at the sound of a door creaking open. Mickey turned around in her seat and spied a short man with zinc oxide on his nose. He couldn't have been that much taller than her. He too one look at Mickey and then his expression matched the Scary Man's.

"Did you two rehears that?" Mickey tried to joke. No one laughed. "Okay then."

"Are you Mickey Mason?" Zinc-Oxide asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"You're not a boy."

"Yeah…I'd grow a Y Chromosome but I don't think that's possible."

"This s a boy's camp."

"I gathered that." Not like Mickey would go had she known that fact. Jail probably had AC. That had to be a plus side. Either way, there was a lot she needed to talk to that lawyer about.

Zinc-Oxide rounded the table and looked over the Scary Man's shoulder to see the clipboard. The two conversed for a moment. The Scary Man spat out his empty sunflower seed shells and stuffed another handful in his mouth. Zinc-Oxide motioned for Mickey to stand up and follow him, bidding someone named Mr. Sir a goodbye on the way out. Out into the depths of Hell.

"There seems to be a little mix up in our filing," Zinc-Oxide said. Despite being short as well his strides were still longer than Mickey's. She had to walk a little faster than her usual pace to keep up with him as they crossed the dusty compound. She spotted people in orange jumpsuits every now and then and they seemed to do a double take as she walked by. "We were expecting you to be a boy. Unisex names and all." Mickey wondered how her gender didn't appear on her file but she didn't ask. "We're asking the Warden how to handle things and get you back on your way. IN the mean time, I can get you some water. I bet you're thirsty."

"Yeah," Mickey rasped, her dry throat keeping her from whooping with joy at the very idea of water. Heaven in liquid form.

"It's right over here." He pointed and lead her over to what looked like was supposed to be showers. "My name's Mr. Pendanski. I want you to know that although you've made a bad decision it doesn't make you a bad person."

Mickey pressed her dry lips together. No, defending herself apparently made her a bad person. She removed her cap from her head and wiped sweat off her brown with the back of her hand. Her black hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail, swung free. A few seconds later wolf-whistles rang in the air. Mickey flinched at the noise. Mr. Pendanski ignored it. She stood by with her arms crossed as Pendanski filled a canteen and then held it out to her. She eagerly gobbled the water down as a voice cut through the thick air.

"Yo Mom! Is that a mirage standing next to you?"

Mickey stopped drinking in mid-gulp to see who was yelling. Three boys sauntered over to Pendanski, all covered in dirt. One's glasses were covered so much Mickey was surprised he could see.

"Now Rex, that's no way to speak to a girl," Pendanski replied, putting a hand on Mickey's shoulder. She shrugged out from underneath his arm, frowning. "There was a bit of a mistake and she'll be here until we can sort it out. For now, be the gentlemen that I know you can be." Pendanski turned his grin to Mickey. It made her frown deepen. "Boys this is Mickey. Mickey this is Rex, Jose, and Theodore." He pointed to each of them in turn.

"Naw, man, it's X-Ray. And that's Magnet and that's Armpit," the boy with glasses said, correcting names. "What are you doing here?" He lifted his chin in Mickey's direction.

"Lacking a dick, apparently," Mickey replied. Magnet cracked a smile. It made his already tired-looking face that more tired-looking. "So…" she looked around herself. "Where's the lake?" This time all three boys laughed. Mickey blinked in confusion, mentally slapping herself for the seemingly funny question. "Did I say something?"

"Pendanski!" The Scary Man, whom Mickey learned _was_ Mr. Sir when Pendanski addressed him, walked towards them, a bit bowlegged, his hand upon a holster that Mickey hadn't noticed before. Beneath the hot sun she blanched. "That was the Warden." Mr. Sir spat on the ground and wiped off his mouth. "Says to keep her here. Already takin' up a vacancy. Says it doesn't matter where she spends her sentence. 'Sides, bus won't return until another spot opens."

Mickey's eyes widened. Stay here? In a camp full of boys? Full of _criminal_ boys? Until who knows how long? She shook her head. She must have been hearing things. "You can't keep me here!" She squeaked in desperation.

"It's only temporary!" Pendanski said brightly. "Time will fly by! You won't even notice!"

Another round of whistles pierced the air as a few more dirty boys passed by them. Mickey's eyebrow popped up at the sound and she stared at Pendanski. Needless to say, she was sure she'd notice.

"Others might," Armpit noted as Magnet nodded his head in agreement.

"Don't worry, Mom, we'll be sure to keep an eye on her. As a favor to you, of course," X-Ray said with an easy smile. "Wouldn't want you getting' in trouble with the Warden. Win-win situation. We'll show her around. Watch her back and stuff."

"Right. Please do that while we sort this out," Pendanski said. But Mickey had a feeling all of the sorting out had been done already. Pendanski patted Mickey's shoulder. Her grip tightened on the canteen in her hands as he walked away. Leaving her with the dirty boys.

"Well, we can give you a tour," Magnet said. Mickey looked around them. Whatever tour he could give she guessed it would be short.

"Why are you so…dirty?" Mickey asked.

"They never told you?" X-Ray asked in response. She tilted her head in confusion. "Gotta dig holes here. Once a day. You get used to it."

Mickey made a face. They dig holes every day. What kind of correctional facility was this? She didn't dare ask the question aloud. They were juvenile delinquents after all. Well, she was one too but who knows why they were arrested? She didn't want to begin that train of thought. Instead she kept quiet while following the boys around. She learned early on in her life that it was better to keep quiet than to ask a bunch of questions.

The big tour went from the offices to the Mess Hall to the Wreck Room (was that a spelling error?), and then to the tents. X-Ray's, Armpit's, and Magnent's tent was D-Tent. A, B, C, and E were for other campers. F was for counselors. The lone house on the property was for the Warden.

"And this is the best tent in all of camp," X-Ray boasted as they stepped into D-Tent. It was as humid as the others. Three other boys lay on cots in the tent; one with wide eyes and crazy hair, one with curly brown hair, and one small boy. They were Zigzag, Stanley, and Zero. Mickey wondered if Stanley was his name or a nickname as the others seemed to have.

Their naming system was strange around Camp Green Lake. The whole day was strange. Even that Zigzag guy asking if she had seen any yellow-spotted lizards. She hadn't and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

"So you were sent here on accident?" Stanley asked, the only guy who actually talked to her rather than stare at her or openly ogle. He had arrived only two days ago. He was a newbie just like her.

Mickey nodded. "Somewhere along the way they lobbed off an X and gave me a Y," she replied. Stanley smiled. Saying it out loud still didn't make the situation any better. Besides te name, how was it possible for this all to go wrong? Don't they double check these things?

"How long are you here?"

Mickey didn't get a chance to reply as Magnet cut in with, "Hopefully forever. You're the best thing I've seen all day."

She tried to smile but it didn't go that far. She did her best to curl in on herself, make herself smaller. Maybe then they'd leave her alone and stop asking questions.

"Yeah, so, nice chattin' with ya. I'm gonna go find Pendanski," she said, jumping up from the end of Stanley's cot. Se had almost made it out of the tent when she walked smack dab into someone entering on the other side.

"Man, watch where I'm goin'!" the person grunted

"Sorry!" Mickey squeaked, flinching. "I didn't see…" her words trailed off and her eyebrows knitted together. "Wait…Alan!?"

"Who wants ta—" 'Alan' started but then he stopped once he took a look at Mickey. "_Mickey_!?"

"I take it you two know each other," X-Ray commented from behind them. As if that wasn't obvious.

"Unfortunately," Mickey growled, glaring at 'Alan'. He did the same and brushed past er, knocking his shoulder against hers on the way. The force made her take a couple of steps back to keep from falling over.

"Who sent you to check in on me?" 'Alan' demanded.

"Typical Alan, thinking the world revolves around him," Mickey muttered. "I'm not here for you."

"It's not Alan, it's Squid!" he said from what she guessed was his cot as he yanked a shirt on over his head. His orange jumpsuit was tied around his waist by the arms. Everyone else stayed quiet as they watched the two.

Mickey snorted at the ridiculous name. "Oh ho! That's even better! An animal that reflects your lack of a spine!"

"Wanna say that again?" Squid demanded. He crossed the short distance of the tent and grabbed her by her collar. "You'll be snacking on your teeth!"

"Whoa! Squid, easy man," X-Ray cried out, jumping up.

Mickey tried to pry his fingers off of her but they wouldn't budge. He was much stronger than she remembered. "Get your hands off me!" She hissed.

"Looks like you're all getting along," Pendanski said cheerfully as he entered the tent. Mickey turned her glare to him. Was he really that blind or did he choose not to see what was in front of his face?

Squid held his glare a little longer and then let her go. He wrenched his arm from X-Ray's grasp and sauntered back over to his cot.

"Here's the deal," Pendanski addressed Mickey, "The Warden has decided to make an exception and allow you to stay for as long as your sentence allows." He shoved orange jumpsuits, a pair of gloves, and a few towels in her arms. "You get two jumpsuits. One to work in, one to relax in. You're to dig a hole per day, five feet deep, five feet in diameter. Your shovel will be your measuring stick. You get shower tokens to wash up. There's only one temperature: cold." The longer Pendanski spoke the wider Mickey's eyes got. He couldn't be seriously. But, sadly, he was. "You were supposed to fill the vacancy in B-Tent but considering the circumstances and that you already have a buddy here"—Squid lifted his middle finger—"we can shift and have you in D-Tent." Pendanski put his hand on Mickey's shoulder again. Her lip twitched. "Now the Warden is concerned about this…predicament so you will be working in the kitchens part time to ensure your safety. You'll be preparing breakfast and dinner."

Mickey's internal screams of despair was interrupted by Alan's, no, _Squid's_ burst of laughter. "Good! Stick her where she belongs!" That got him a high five from Magnet. Mickey wanted to high five him in the face.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Recently I watched Holes and I read the book and the survival guide and _Small Steps_ again which brought me back to the Holes fandom after a few years to try my hand at writing Holes stories again. I had two up recently, _Squids Don't Cry_ and _Papercut Hell, _that I have decided to delete and try again later. I wanted to get this story out before I forgot my idea. I also have a Squid-centered story coming up soon about his time post-CGL. I was reading _Small Steps_ and I sat back and realized that, out of all of the guys in D-Tent, Squid is the one we know least about so I figured I'd give his story a shot. I'm writing this so it kind of reflects the narrative voice of Louis Sachar but with my own flair.

I have old Holes stories up on my profile (of which really make me cringe, to be honest), but I hope you all can see my improvement in writing over the years between now and then.

Please let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy this story!

~C.M.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The last thing Mickey wanted to do was deal with the reminders of her life back at home. Yet there Alan was. Rather, there _Squid_ was, having to ruin it all. Why the hell he was named something as lame as Squid was beyond her. Of course it was better than Barf Bag. (She felt bad about that kid, despite not knowing who he was).

She knew seeing Alan again would be tough but this was worse than she ever imagined. How easy was it to come face-to-face with someone who used to be your best friend? Someone who was now a stranger? It sucked. Which made it easier to come to the solution that she would just pretend he didn't exist.

Instead she would focus on the piles of potatoes that she was assigned to prepare for dinner. She lost count of how many she peeled past fifteen. A few of them had gouge marks from her anger but those were salvageable. There were a handful of potatoes that were rotten beyond comprehension. She threw those away in disgust, only to be reprimanded by a guard for "wasting food".

If that was the 'food' they were supposed to eat the entire time they were incarcerated, Mickey wasn't so sure she _wanted_ to eat.

The rhythm she had built up while peeling the potatoes wavered as she glanced up to see one of the boys staring at her. Her eyes immediately dropped back down as she pulled the sharpened blade across the vegetable. A strip of the skin landed on the pile that steadily grew in the trashcan sitting between her knees. Despite the tingly, itchy feeling she was getting from the stares she kept her focus on the task at hand. Then she could get a shower in while the boys were eating and not worry about them taking a peek at her. She thanked God that she had brought her bathing suit with her, despite the fact that the place had no lake. (Why name it after something that wasn't there? It continued to baffle her.) But then again it was a good thing that it was named in such a way that she had one less thing to worry about.

Now all she had to focus on was not to be murdered in her sleep. Or worse.

Mickey paused in her peeling and tugged at the collar of the ill-fitting jumpsuit. She was swimming in the fabric. It hung loose on her thin frame and bunched up in unflattering places. Not that she particularly cared about her appearance, especially not now. But she did wish she had a jumpsuit that was less bulky. But she wasn't going to complain about that. That would be foolish on her part. She didn't want to give any of them any reason to point her out better than they could now.

She was sentenced for a year and she didn't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Lifting the heavy sleeve of her jumpsuit, she rubbed it across her forehead. Her nose wrinkled at the scratchy, porous fabric and, once again, brushed the sleeve back only for it to fall over her small hands. Huffing as quietly as possible, she lifted the sleeve again so she could go back to peeling the seemingly never ending mountain of potatoes.

"Finally!" Mickey exclaimed as she put the last potato into the metal pan a little while later. She tossed down the peeler and wiped her hands off on a nearby towel. She flexed her fingers and smiled at the satisfying crack and the release of pressure at the joints. "Now I can get a shower and—"

"Where do you think you're going?" the guard asked, stopping her quick escape.

"T-to the showers?" Mickey replied, her statement coming out more like a question. The stern expression on the guard's face didn't face. "…Sir?" she added, her voice rising in pitch as her shoulders lifted up to her ears. Still, the man's face never changed. "No?"

"If you think you're getting out of here due to some sort of special treatment—"

"_No!_ No, I'm not! I don't think I deserve any special treatment at all. No, in fact, I don't deserve any treatment at all. You-you can just leave me here to die I the sun. Wipe your hands of all of this. No one would be the wiser!" Mickey rattled off at the mouth. Her nervous energy made her speak quicker and her voice, if possible, get much higher than it was before. She only stopped talking when the guard cleared his throat and she clamped her lips together to keep the barrage of words from falling out.

"Nice try getting away," the guard commented. "But you're not done yet. Throw on some gloves and a hairnet."

Mickey blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what he was getting at. It finally clicked and her mouth dropped like a trapdoor. "You…you want me to _serve_ them too?"

"You're a quick one," the guard grunted. "Get to it!"

Mickey jumped at the forceful nature of his words and rushed to get the hairnet, gloves, and an apron that was laid out for her and the others that worked with her. She tucked her hair up into the net and then held the apron in front of her, trying to figure out how to put it on.

"Here, I can help," a voice said at the same time Mickey felt two large hands being to pull her jumpsuit off of her shoulders. She dropped the apron, reached back, and grabbed onto the wrists of the person behind her, digging her fingernails into the skin as her heart battered her chest.

"Get your hands off me," she hissed, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking.

"Relax," the boy said, lifting his fingers. "I'm not going to o anything. I just want to help."

"You can do that by not touching me."

"Alright, alright. But you have to give me my hands back."

Mickey slowly let go of the boy's hands and then whirled around. Of course it was the one that was staring at her that was now rubbing at his wrists, an amused sort of smile on his face. His eyebrows twitched and he snorted. "Remind me not to get on your bad side," he muttered. "All I was going to do was show you an easier way to deal with these jumpsuits."

"Well…do it from a distance!" Mickey ordered, looking him up and down as if she was expecting more hands to pop out from somewhere. He held up his hands, palms facing out, as if surrendering.

"Okay. See, all you do is slip your arms from the jumpsuit, roll down the back with the sleeves in your hand until it reaches about your lower back and then you tie it around the front," the boy said while demonstrating it.

Mickey's lips twitched. It would make things a little more bearable, not needing to wear the top part of the jumpsuit and it didn't seem to be against regulations. But then it put her on display, the last thing she wanted. She sighed. What would it be? Die of heat exhaustion or risk her modesty?

She wasn't a fool.

Mickey shrugged out of the jumpsuit and rolled down the back like she was taught. She pulled the sleeves tight and then tied them around her waist. It wasn't that much of a temperature difference between having the jumpsuit top up or down but she'd take all the difference she could get. She was sweating so much someone could probably mistake her for crying.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"No problem," he replied. "I'm Eagle. I'm in B-Tent, the one you were supposed to be assigned to." Mickey's eyebrow popped up at the name. "It's 'cause I came in wearing an American Eagle shirt."

"Ah," she muttered. "I'm Mickey."

"I would've guessed. Your voice got so high I think only dogs could hear it at one point."

"No…that's really my name. I was named after the baseball player. Mickey Mantle. My dad's a fan."

"That's enough bumping your gums," the guard barked. "Come on, get your things on, get the food, and get in your stations. Girlie, you're in charge of the beans. If I find a hair in it you'll be washing everything by hand. Understood?"

Mickey pressed her lips together to keep the sound of protest from leaving her mouth. Instead she nodded and hurried to put on her apron and her gloves. Her mother would have a cow if she could see her in an apron. Grunting softly, she managed to pick up the pot of beans and waddled over to the front of the Mess Hall. She managed to lift it up onto the small burner and turned it on, jumping at the loud _pop!_ that sounded before a flame appeared beneath it.

Crossing her arms, she leaned back against the table behind her and waited for the boys to trickle in. She wanted to get the stares over with. She was diluted into thinking that she was so drop-dead gorgeous that she would gain everyone's attention with a snap of her fingers but who knew how long it's been since they had seen a girl, assuming some of them weren't into the male persuasion? And who knew if some of them were brought along because of violence towards girls?

She licked her lips. There was no sense in thinking about that. She had to focus on getting her job done and finish her sentence so she could go back home.

Only Nineteen months and twenty-nine days left.

The door to the Mess Hall burst open and in trickled the boys, laughing and joking around about something. Mickey kept a tight grip on her ladle just in case she would need to use it. Most of the guys gave her double takes, a few threw winks her way, and there were a few comments here and there but they left her alone for the most part. In fact it was smooth sailing until the D-Tent boys burst into the Mess Hall, talking about cavemen and Neanderthals or something.

"Well well, if it isn't our new tent mate," X-Ray said with a big smile as he slid his tray across the metal queue. "That hairnet looks good on you." Mickey dumped a ladle full of baked beans onto his tray and went for another spoonful as Armpit came by. He smiled at her and thankfully didn't make a crack about her predicament. Magnet was the same. Zigzag looked at her as if he was expecting to find razor blades in his food. Stanley, although looking worn out, managed a smile. Zero said nothing as he went by.

"Look at this!" Squid hooted, holding his toothpick around his finger and thumb and used it to gesture at Mickey. "Aint this the prettiest kitchen princess I ever did see." Mickey's eyebrow popped up, his thick accent making the word "prettiest" come out as "purtiest". "That hairnet is very becoming."

"This ladle is going to become a part of your anatomy soon if you don't shut up!" Mickey growled, her grip tightening on the metal utensil in her hand.

"Don't you have a cake to bake?" Squid asked, a smirk stretching across his face. "See, it's cooking _and_ serving all at once. You'll know your place soon enough."

Mickey tried counting to ten but her nerves were too far gone. She lifted the ladle over her head, trying to strike at him. He let go of his tray and lifted his arms, instantly going to protect his face. Al at once around them noise broke out. It was a bit disorienting. Mickey didn't even get a chance to bring the ladle down in full swing when the camper next to her grabbed her arm, warning her that it "wasn't worth it."

Mickey snorted. What else could they do to her? Give her more time?

"Is there a problem over here?" Mr. Pendanski asked, appearing out of nowhere. His voice was calm but his eyes were steely. He was a walking, talking contradiction.

Squid and Mickey regarded one another. His brown eyes were hard as he looked Mickey up and down, as if daring her to make a sound. Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her lips together. She was the first to tear her eyes away.

"No, Mr. Pendanski," she said the same time Squid muttered, "Nah, Mom."

"Good." An easygoing smile appeared on his face. He patted both of them on the shoulder. "Let's keep the line moving, Alan. No need to cause a traffic jam."

Squid tossed a glare Mickey's way. She held his gaze as she spooned up baked beans and tilted the ladle so it splattered against his tray. His lip twitched in the top corner and he replaced the toothpick in his mouth. He cut his eyes away and moved down the line. The rest of the dinner line was uneventful, thankfully. Maybe they weren't in the mood to deal with Pendanski or maybe they were too tired from digging to care that she was around. Either way she was happy to finally get the itchy net off of her head and the sweaty apron from around her waist.

Abandoning the pieces of fabric at the table behind her, Mickey made her way to the front door only to be blocked by yet _another_ guard who stated that no one was to leave dinner before the bell and, if she knew what was good for her, she'd get her ass in line and quit trying to get special treatment.

As if.

She grabbed a tray and slowly moved down the line, getting the food that she had to watch be prepared. The bread was the only thing she knew was good and she already had her sights (and her stomach) set on it.

She carefully carried her food over to her designated table, of which Magnet flagged her down to, and sat on the end. It was a peculiar set up: X-Ray sat at the head of the table, like a father figure of sorts for the rag-tag bunch. To his right sat Armpit, Squid, and Zero, his left sat Zigzag, Magnet, and Stanley. Mickey took the empty space by Zero for spacing reasons. She couldn't ask Stanley to shift and make room for her. He probably couldn't offer much space anyway, even if he tried.

Dinner went by as she tried to ignore the boys' random table talk it started out about sports and then it changed to guessing what Barf Bag was doing. Mickey forced down the limp green beans and the stale creamed corn that clumped together on the way down. She was in the middle of the baked beans when it happened.

Squid, spluttering, shoved his tray away from him. His fork and knife were stuck in a peeled potato, partially split. Mickey didn't have to see the inside to know how rotten it was. The darkened inside had begun to stretch on the outside, leaving a gray splotch on the otherwise white exterior.

"Aww, man, that's foul," Magnet commented, his face screwing up in disgust.

"Even I wouldn't eat that, dude," Armpit said, frowning at the ruined vegetable as if it had personally offended him.

"Man, those Lunch Ladies are askin' for it, I tell ya that," Squid fumed, yanking his fork out of his potato. It landed back on the tray with a heavy thud. Snorts traveled up and down the table as they ate their food. Zero, as usual, stayed silent.

Mickey reached for her piece of bread when a hand snatched out and grabbed it. "Hey!" she yelped in protest, trying in a futile attempt to get it back. Squid flung out his arm, keeping her hands away. Zero leaned back to avoid being hit by Squid's arm. Mickey could only watch in dismay as Squid ate her bread.

"You got a problem?" X-Ray asked, staring hard at her. The silence that had fallen around the table was thick and stifling but Mickey forced herself to keep breathing.

Yeah, she had problems. The jumpsuit was too big, she smelled like a gym sock, she hadn't showered all day, people wouldn't stop looking at her, Pendanski wouldn't stop touching her, she was sure her period was coming soon and she didn't have her supplies on her, and she was stuck having to see Alan's, no, Squid's _stupid face_ for the next year. But she wasn't stupid. She wasn't going to complain about that. No one would take her seriously. So, as usual, she kept her words quiet and short, "…No."

"Smart girl."

###

The water trickling over Mickey's head was much more soothing than she expected. She didn't have her shampoo to properly wash her hair but that was alright. She was in a rush. She was sure no one would be happy to know that she was using the water spigot of all things to get a shower in. but she wasn't going to risk peeping toms by standing under the showerhead. So, after dinner, she used water from the spigot and her towel to wash off the dirt, kind of like a sponge bath without the aid of a nurse and without taking off her clothes. It was a bit tricky but she managed.

Wringing out her damp hair, she trudged back to D-Tent. Even after the sun had gown down it was still warm out in the desert. It didn't take long for the beads of water that dripped down her body to dry up and for the wet patch on the back of her t-shirt to shrink.

Her arms were sore and stiff just from carrying pots and pans; she couldn't imagine having to dig on top of that tomorrow. She tried to push the harrowing thought out of her mind and focused on being able to sleep soon. She hadn't slept the day before her sentence and was almost running on empty. Even sitting down for a few minutes would be a reprieve.

She had one foot on the short set of stairs leading up to D-Tent when she heard a hissing sound. Her body immediately stiffened. Her eyes darted around to look for the snake. Her mouth fell open, ready to scream.

"Shush! Are you crazy?" Eagle hissed as she stepped out of the darkness. "Don't get your tent mates. I'm not exactly on good term with them. They'd kill me."

Mickey's muscles slowly eased and she put her leg down. Her heart beat hard against her chest as she regained her composure. "What are you doing here?" she hissed, jumping down.

"I saw what went down at dinner," he replied, digging into his pockets.

"Yeah, well, he had it coming."

"Not that." Eagle pulled his hands out of his pockets. Clutched in one palm was a piece of bread and in another a Twinkie. Mickey's eyes widened at the sight of the food. Eagle shrugged. "Being a Lunch Lady has its perks," he said, shoving the food into her hands. "You saw nothing. You know nothing. Wait until you're alone to eat this. Don't want anyone else lurking around."

Mickey nodded her head rapidly, shoving the food into her own pockets. "Thanks." Eagle nodded and slinked away. Mickey's mouth began to water at the idea of eating the sugary treat. She made sure to wipe her mouth before entering the tent.

"Thought you decided to move into the kitchen for a moment there," Magnet commented as she walked to the back of the tent and then sat down on the sleeping bag she was provided. There weren't enough cots to go around, Pendanski said, and they weren't going to move one from B-Tent over. There could be another vacancy, after all. But she doubted that. If there was another one she had a way to get back. "Took you that long to wash all the pots and pans?"

"Check her hands, bet they're all prune-y like raisins," Zigzag added from his cot. "Soft, delicate things."

"You won't last out there, diggin' holes with those."

"I give her an hour."

"Nah, won't even last then. Might break a nail," Squid added.

Mickey ignored the conversation going around her as best as she could. She couldn't deny that her jaw would ache later from how hard she was clenching her teeth. But she kept her head down and read the book she had grabbed from her crate. Well, it was actually a small cardboard box but she wasn't complaining. No one seemed to want to touch her stuff.

"Nah, I betcha she'll get it all done," X-Ray spoke up. Mickey looked up at him from beneath her bangs. The boys were looking at him as well. Even Zero. X-Ray smiled. "I bet she can handle it. She's small, yeah, but look at Zero? He's the first one done every time. She could be another Zero."

A chorus of "yeah right" and "naw, man" sounded as the boys waved him away. Stanley glanced over at Mickey. She shifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. A whistle sounded in the distance. The boys all got off their cots and headed towards the exit.

"Tent meeting, girl," X-Ray called over his shoulder.

"I'll be there in a second," Mickey replied, marking her page. The boys looked at her and she sighed while rolling her eyes. "I have to change! Get out!" They shook their heads and ambled away from the tent. She waited to hear their footsteps go away. They faded and melded in with the darkness outside of the tent. She reached into her pocket, pulled out the Twinkie, and took a large bite, smiling at the sweet taste that assaulted her tongue.

Never had a Twinkie tasted so good.

* * *

**A/N:** Well here's chapter two! I hope you all enjoy it. Thanks to _Fact_ for the review. Please read and review!

~C.M.


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